This morning, an F-16 fighter jet destroyed the third Russian unmanned aerial vehicle over Romanian territorial waters in the last three days.
elchi reports that Romanian President Nicușor Dan wrote about this on the “X” social network.
He stated that Bucharest expresses its strong protest regarding the situation:
“It is unacceptable that Russian unmanned aerial vehicles continue to violate the borders of Romania’s airspace, which is simultaneously the airspace of both NATO and the European Union.”
According to the investigation by the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office, the downed drone belongs to the “Shahed” type used by the Russian Armed Forces in the war against Ukraine.
“I congratulate the Romanian pilots and ground crews for the professionalism, courage, and efficiency they demonstrated while performing their duties. Through their actions, they contribute to the defense of the national territory and the safety of Romanian citizens,” said Nicușor Dan.
The investigation into the details of the drone incidents is currently ongoing. Its results will form the basis for the official diplomatic protest that Romania will address to the Russian Federation.
It should be recalled that on the morning of July 24, a pilot of an F-16 fighter jet belonging to the Romanian Air Force shot down a drone near the city of Padina in Buzău County. The following day, another unmanned aerial vehicle that entered the country’s airspace was shot down.